The three problems Oliver Glasner must solve at Crystal Palace during the international break to keep his job

Crystal Palace lost again at Selhurst Park, and there is no hiding from the fact that after this international break, manager Oliver Glasner will have to find solutions to why a team that won five of their last six league games, equalled their best-ever Premier League finish and looked set to go places has suddenly regressed.

Admittedly, the loss of key players like Michael Olise, Joachim Andersen, and Jordan Ayew would have hurt them, but there is more to this recent slump that is leaving many scratching their heads behind the scenes. Just before the last international break, there was optimism as they held Chelsea to a vital draw at Stamford Bridge, but they ended this break having just lost to Liverpool at home and sitting 18th on the league table, in need of inspiration from somewhere.

With the break finally here, here are a few things that should occupy the Palace manager’s mind.

The Defence

Palace has one of the best defenders in the Premier League in Marc Guehi, but he hasn’t looked his best; at least he’s not the same player who was bossing the Euros for England. As a unit, the entire defence just doesn’t seem to be on it. The gaps are too wide, and the positioning is all over the place. He will have to find a way to ensure his top players return to their best, but more importantly, they need to play as a unit. Against Liverpool, Trevoh Chalobah, on loan from Chelsea, started his first game—there is no doubt that he’s a top player, but he did not have a pre-season with Chelsea and hasn’t played much, so there’s a need to get him up to speed as soon as possible.

Eddie Nketiah and Mateta

One of the headaches is what to do with big-money signing Eddie Nketiah and the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta. Mateta has looked a monster in front of goal since Glasner took over and loves to play through the middle, but Eddie also thrives as a striker. Glasner has to find a system that will get the best out of them individually and as a collective unit. Palace have lost one of the engines that made them such a great force off the ball, which is Jordan Ayew—the Ghanaian is underrated, and they need to find someone who can provide the work rate that Ayew used to give. He is one of those players whose importance is only highlighted when he’s not playing, so it will be interesting to see how Glasner addresses this issue during the international break.

The Adam Wharton Conundrum

One of the success stories of last season was Adam Wharton, who blew everyone away and took James Maddison’s spot at the Euros. When he played, there was a view that he was the next Andrea Pirlo, but this season he’s looked slow, tired, and very lethargic. Some have said he is playing with an injury, while others have suggested it’s just the burden of no longer having the unpredictability that comes with being a new player. Whatever it is, he’s one of the keys to the team, and when he plays well, the team plays well.

Eberechi Eze has paid for a slow start by losing his spot in the England team—it will be interesting to see the state he is in when he returns from the international break.